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- <text id=93TT0275>
- <title>
- Sep. 27, 1993: From The Publisher
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1993
- Sep. 27, 1993 Attack Of The Video Games
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- FROM THE PUBLISHER, Page 4
- By ELIZABETH VALK LONG
- </hdr><body>
- <p> Each summer Time goes to battle, well, to bat, against the likes
- of the New York Times and Newsweek in the softball fields of
- Manhattan's Central Park. This Publishers League season, however,
- did not begin well. Said captain Lamarr Tsufura, who troubleshoots
- computer problems during the off-season: "We had a disastrous
- game on opening day." But ya gotta believe.
- </p>
- <p> As the hazy, lazy days of summer rolled along, the wins slowly
- piled up. And with each one, the cries of News Desk editor Anderson
- Fils-Aime echoed louder and louder from out in left field where
- he played: "MINE! MINE! I GOT IT! I GOT IT!" He always did.
- Suddenly we were in the playoffs and giddy with excitement.
- The usually circumspect first baseman (and TIME public affairs
- director) Robert Pondiscio was promising to shave his head if
- we won the championship. "This is serious stuff," said first-base
- coach Rafael Soto, who directs incoming mail for the magazine.
- "It's the only way we can get physical with our rivals." Then
- we made it into the finals.
- </p>
- <p> But there were omens to consider. Our opponent was the Village
- Voice, a team that had not lost a game all season. And we had
- choked before. We lost last year's final in a heartbreaker against
- the New York Times. We were also missing our perpetual pitcher
- and co-captain Janice Castro. Associate editor Castro was on
- leave writing a book. Not to worry. Reporter Tresa Chambers
- stepped in, giving up only one run.
- </p>
- <p> TIME's offense, meanwhile, banged out eight runs, with hits
- by, among others, Bob Marshall of our legal department, library
- clerk Ann McCarthy and associate editor Sophfronia Scott Gregory.
- "We won?" asked Tsufura's co-techie Kevin Kelly from the bench
- as a Voice batter hit the final out into Chambers' glove. "Yes!"
- came the reply from a jubilant mob.
- </p>
- <p> Softball isn't life, nor is it journalism. Yet there is an enchantment
- about the game, in the laughter of comrades, the cheers of friends,
- the resonance of a ball well hit, the pulsing high after racing
- for home. Maybe this is what life should be all about. We'll
- figure it out next summer -- at the ball games.
- </p>
- <p> For now, though, the barber is waiting for Mr. Pondiscio.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
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